Latest news with #O
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
2 No-Brainer Dividend Stocks to Buy With $2,000 Right Now
American Express is resistant to interest rate swings. Realty Income is broadly diversified across recession-resistant retailers. Both stocks generate consistent growth and pay steady dividends. 10 stocks we like better than American Express › Blue chip dividend stocks are usually considered stable long-term investments, but they lost their luster over the past few years as interest rates spiked. Rising rates made risk-free CDs and Treasury bills more appealing, while making it tougher for many companies to support their dividends with consistent profits. But as interest rates decline again, it might be smart to buy some of those blue chip dividend plays. So even if you only have $2,000 available to invest, you should consider buying and holding these two classic income stocks: American Express (NYSE: AXP) and Realty Income (NYSE: O). American Express is often considered a credit card company, but it's also one of the U.S.'s largest banks. Unlike Visa and Mastercard, which only issue co-branded cards instead of issuing any cards of their own, American Express is both a card issuer and its own bank. Its total number of active cards rose 4% to 123.3 million in 2024. Therefore, it generates its revenue from both card processing fees and interest payments on its outstanding loans. American Express controls a smaller slice of the global card-payments market than Visa and Mastercard, but that's an intentional business decision. Since it needs to back its own cards with its own balance sheet, it only issues them to lower-risk, higher-income individuals. The company is also better insulated from interest rate swings than Visa and Mastercard. Rising rates might curb consumer spending and credit card purchases, but they'll still boost its banking segment's net interest income. That balanced business model enabled American Express to grow its revenue and earnings per share (EPS) at compound annual growth rates (CAGRs) of 10% and 12%, respectively, from 2019 to 2024. From 2024 to 2027, analysts expect its revenue and EPS to have CAGRs of 8% and 13%, respectively. Those are rock-solid increases for a stock trading at 18 times forward earnings. The stock's forward dividend yield of 1.2% might seem low, but the company has raised its payout annually for 13 consecutive years. Its low payout ratio of 20% also gives it plenty of room for future dividend hikes. So if you're looking for an evergreen financial stock that offers an attractive mix of growth and income, American Express checks all the right boxes. Realty Income is one of the largest real estate investment trusts (REITs) in the world. REITs buy a lot of properties, rent them out, and split that rental income with their investors. They must also pay out at least 90% of their taxable income as dividends to maintain a lower tax rate. Realty Income owns a portfolio of 15,621 properties, which it leases to 1,565 different clients across more than 89 industries. It mainly focuses on recession-resistant retailers like drugstores, convenience stores, and discount retailers. Last year, its top tenants included Walgreens, 7-Eleven, Dollar General, and Dollar Tree, but no single tenant accounted for more than 3.5% of its annualized rent. And declining interest rates should make it cheaper for the REIT to purchase new properties. Some of its tenants have struggled with store closures in recent years, but the company's year-end occupancy rate still rose from 98.6% in 2023 to 98.7% in 2024. That figure has also never dropped below 96% since its initial public offering (IPO) in 1994. It can maintain that high occupancy rate because its stronger tenants are still expanding as its weaker ones contract. Realty Income pays its dividends every month instead of every quarter and has raised its payout 130 times since its IPO. It pays a forward annual dividend of $3.22 per share, which equals a yield of 5.7%. It expects its adjusted funds from operations (AFFO) to rise from a range of 0.7% to 2.1%, to a range of $4.22 to $4.28 per share this year, and easily cover those dividend payments. It also looks like a bargain at 13 times the midpoint of its estimated AFFO this year. That high yield, low valuation, and evergreen business model all make Realty Income an easy stock to recommend in this turbulent market. Before you buy stock in American Express, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the for investors to buy now… and American Express wasn't one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $614,911!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $714,958!* Now, it's worth noting Stock Advisor's total average return is 907% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 163% for the S&P 500. Don't miss out on the latest top 10 list, available when you join . See the 10 stocks » *Stock Advisor returns as of May 5, 2025 American Express is an advertising partner of Motley Fool Money. Leo Sun has positions in Realty Income. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Mastercard, Realty Income, and Visa. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. 2 No-Brainer Dividend Stocks to Buy With $2,000 Right Now was originally published by The Motley Fool Sign in to access your portfolio
Miami Herald
16-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Miami Herald
Look around: Poetry is everywhere during the O, Miami Poetry Festival
A fifth-grade student named Loudricka at Morningside K-8 Academy wrote this poem for O, Miami and National Poetry Month. Noisy day and night/Cars, traffic everyday/But I love this city anyway O, Miami uses the power of poetry to connect people, spark empathy and foster a shared narrative. This year, the group launched a new public art initiative called 'Soy de Todas Partes' ('I am of all places') as part of its April Poetry Festival. The civic publishing project looks at the modern immigrant experience through 100 student poems placed in public places across South Florida. Throughout the year, drivers on MacArthur Causeway, walkers downtown and boaters on our waterways will see billboards of poetry. The group has a few more special events slated for this month. 'We invite you to experience — and shape — O, Miami. Write a poem, join a workshop, or stumble upon poetry in unexpected places,' said O, Miami Executive Co-Director Melody Santiago Cummings. 'Swap stories and clothing, get a tattoo with a new friend or find poetry in the cosmos, the coral reefs or a quilt. Honor the past, celebrate the present and dream up the future with us. Whether you're skateboarding, shucking oysters, mothering or dancing through your grief, there's a place for you here — come make the festival yours.' The organization partners with venues like the Miami Beach Bandshell, with local artists and tradespeople bringing projects to life. 'At O, Miami, we're of the strong belief that there are no wrong answers in poetry — that it's a wild, vital and deeply inclusive means of self expression,' said artistic director Caroline Cabrera. Upcoming events include 'ABCs of Miami Story Time & Artmaking' with Westofchester's Melissa Gutierrez. It is free with RSVP,t 4:30-5:30 p.m. April 23 at Doral Cultural Arts Center. There is also 'ZipOdes Finale at Vizcaya Late' presented in partnership with WLRN and Vizcaya Museum & Gardens, 6-9 p.m., April 23. Tickets are $5-15. This marks the 10-year anniversary of ZipOdes, the beloved community poetry project that transforms South Florida zip codes into poetic expressions. Free readings feature Morgan Parker, Jasmine Respess and Mahogany Browne at 7-10 p.m. April 26 at Doral Cultural Arts Center, and 'Poetry, Piraguas, & Paperbacks,' a collaboration with Bookleggers Library, 12-4 p.m. April 27 at Roberto Clemente Park. 'Poetry in Service,' a flavor-filled, cuisine-meets-poetry event at Recoveco, is 7-10 p.m. April 29. You can see all events and register at EXPERIENCE 'BIRDSTOCK' IN S. MIAMI Tropical Audubon Society invites members, neighbors and friends to gather April 26-27 at its 2.2-acre wooded campus for a celebration of nature, art, music, activism and conservation heroes. Gates open at 6:30 p.m. Saturday for three top-flight acts in a concert to close out Tropical Audubon Society's 15th Annual Conservation Concert season. Singer-songwriter-composer Danny Rein will open with a solo performance of his hybrid acoustic music and world-premiere his new protest anthem, 'The Day the Music Died.' Perennial fave and Birdstock producer Acoustic Anarchy will follow with Phil Allen, Burt Bruton, Larry Misrahi and Tony Sinatra delivering gems from the '60s and '70s along with originals. The finale will feature Skyrise, serious girl-led rockers out of the UM Frost School of Music, treating concertgoers to their authentic brand of classic and contemporary hard rock. The rising young band is comprised of four females — Alexys Dowling/vocals, Maddy Grant/bass guitar, Mallory Gravitt/lead guitar, Jennifer Phan/keyboards — and one guy, Ben Lepak on drums. The next day's events, 4-6 p.m., feature music by Funk Pedal, a Sports Grill picnic and a pop-up shop. At 4:30 p.m., TAS Education Director Daniel Mlodozeniec will lead a bird walk on the woodsy grounds. A limited number of LEICA binoculars can be borrowed. Then, keynote speaker Xavier Cortada will talk about 'Merging environmental activism with artistic expression.' He will be introduced by TAS advisory board member Cindy Lerner. TAS President José Francisco Barros will start the Conservation Awards Ceremony by honoring National Park Service professionals (employees and those recently dismissed) for their dedication. South Floridians are encouraged to express their appreciation for the roles these heroes play in safeguarding our parks, preserving our natural heritage and inspiring generations to cherish the wild places that define our country. The Polly Redford Citizen Conservation Award will be awarded to Patty Phares. It will be presented by George Gann. And the Dan Beard Government Conservation Award will be awarded to Frank Ridgley, with Ron Magill presenting. Saturday's Birdstock requires a $15 minimum donation per person; free for children 12 and under. The Sunday Members Migration is free to TAS members. You can join at or make a $10 minimum cash donation per person. Proceeds help fund stewardship of the historic Doc Thomas House and Steinberg Nature Center grounds. MIAMI MUSIC PROJECT HONORED Since its founding in 2008, Miami Music Project has provided tuition-free after-school music education to more than 33,000 students across 60 zip codes in Miami-Dade County. Now, the organization, which is using music as a vehicle for social change, will be awarded the 2025 Arts and Education Inspiration Award at the April 21 Serving the Arts Awards Ceremony. 'We are deeply honored to receive this award for our Pathways Program,' said President and CEO Anna Klimala. 'This recognition celebrates the incredible journeys of our students, whose dedication and passion inspire us every day. It reaffirms our commitment to ensuring they have the mentorship and resources to reach higher education and beyond, using music as a powerful pathway to opportunity and success.' Through the organization's intensive El Sistema-inspired curriculum, students receive 16 hours of instruction weekly, totaling 576 hours annually and fostering musical excellence, personal development, leadership and resilience. The Pathways: College Mentor Program was launched in 2024. It is designed to maintain the organization's 100 percent high school graduation and higher education pursuit rate. More at ORCHESTRA TO PLAY GARDEN EVENT Join music lovers under the stars for an evening of drinks, light bites and music to benefit Orchestra Miami. The event starts at 6:30 p.m. May 3 and takes place in the gorgeous garden at the home of Rebecca and Allan Shulman in the Shorecrest neighborhood in Miami. After the meet and greet, select musicians from Orchestra Miami will perform. They include Orlando Forte and Miriam Stern on violin, Viera Borisoova on viola and Aaron Merritt on cello. The fundraiser price is $150 per person, or you can join the Friends of Orchestra Miami Circle at the 'Concert Master' level of $250 or above and receive two free tickets. More at and Write to ChristinaMMayo@ with news for this column.
CBS News
14-04-2025
- Entertainment
- CBS News
Miami transforms into a poetic playground with O, Miami's April events
Every April, O, Miami weaves poetry into the fabric of Miami-Dade County, turning streets, walls and public spaces into a vibrant canvas of words through dozens of events and projects. With a mission to share a poem with every resident, the organization celebrates the city's diverse voices, from immigrant students to local poetry fans, in a monthlong festival that runs through April 30. "The goal is to reach every single resident of Miami-Dade County with a poem," explained Melody Santiago Cummings, co-executive producer of O, Miami. "We do that by having poems put up as public art, doing a series of workshops, and celebrating Miami through the power of poetry." Over 40 public events and projects are happening all over the city, celebrating Miami and all of its unique characters. This year they're rolling out something unique called "Soy de Todas Partes" ("I am of all places") outside Greenspace Miami. These poems, written by immigrant students, are displayed right where you can see them – on streets, walls, anywhere and everywhere. "Year-round we're working with students in schools, and so many of those students share [in] the majority minority community that we're in," says Caroline Cabrera, co-executive producer. "At Green Space Miami we have four poems up, but our aim is to reach 100 poems in public space." These installations span the entire county, with one of the newest appearing at the North Beach Bandshell in Miami Beach. "There is no doubt that poetry is a powerful tool and a catalyst for empathy and understanding, so we're publishing work in multiple languages," Cabrera adds. Local residents enthusiastically celebrate all that O, Miami has to offer. "I feel like Miami really is the most poetic city in the world, just as Miami says all the time, and I feel like we're standing here in the poetry," shares Troy Angles, a poetry fan. "And I think that being in a city where we have so many people from so many different cultures, being able to express that through poetry is amazing." Peter Cole, an O, Miami fan, notes, "It's just a great way to meet people from all over the city. As you can see from all these poems around us, everyone has just an interesting experience here, and it's a great way to get to know people." Yeimi Valdes, another poetry lover, explains, "O Miami's programming does such an incredible job at connecting us to the joy of expression, to the ways that poetry gives us a sense of community, and does it in a way that feels fun, accessible, like there's a poet inside each and every one of us." And finally, as part of O, Miami's street team initiatives, don't be alarmed if you find what looks like a parking ticket on your windshield – it's actually a poem! So if you come out to your car and spot a citation, don't worry. It's all in good feelings. The O, Miami program runs through April 30th throughout Miami. For more information:
Axios
11-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Axios
Things to do in Miami: Art walk, seafood fest and more!
Second weekend of April. Let's have some fun! Quick reminder: The Miami Film Festival ends Sunday, while the O, Miami Poetry Festival runs through the end of the month. 🎵 Spring Student Art & Music Showcase features students from Miami Beach schools performing song, dance and musical acts. Tonight, 660 Lincoln Road, 5pm-7pm. Free 🏎️ The Formula E World Championship's Miami E-Prix brings electric-car racing to Homestead-Miami Speedway Friday and Saturday. The E-Prix returns to Miami for the first time since 2015. Practice sessions start Friday at 4:30pm. The race is Saturday at 2:05pm. Tickets $39+ 🌎 Celebrate Earth Day at the Miami History Museum's Family Fun Day. Learn about environmental issues and Miami's unique natural environment. Saturday, 10am-5pm. Free 🏀 Shoot three-pointers against former Miami Heat players at a South Beach pop-up event organized by Starry. Saturday, Lummus Park (between 5th and 6th St.), 11am-3pm. Free 📕 The first annual Book Club Fair invites guests to hear from speakers, browse vendors and learn about running or joining a book club. Saturday, 3pm-11:30pm. Free
Axios
28-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Axios
Not just for poets: O, Miami Poetry Festival aims to reach diverse audience
O, Miami is on a mission to prove that poetry isn't a dusty or complicated thing. Why it matters: The local nonprofit's annual poetry festival begins Tuesday, with poetry-inspired events across the city. For one month, the group is hosting almost daily events ranging from performances and workshops to dinners. Who's who: This year's event — the 12th annual — is the first time the organization's founder P. Scott Cunningham is no longer at the helm. Melody Santiago Cummings and Caroline Cabrera, two longtime employees, were tapped in August to take over the organization. What they're saying: The programming, Cabrera says, aims to highlight the work O, Miami does throughout the year and connect with diverse audiences. Case in point: This year's lineup includes events like "Maternar-te," a workshop dedicated to "those who mother," whether that's raising children or caring for other loved ones. "Graveyard Poetry: A Workshop" is for those who want to explore themes of mortality and nature, among others. This year's event also features two ticketed dinners: one at Boia De, the other at Recoveco. The latter highlights "Soy de todas partes," a civic project about the immigrant experience, featuring a poetry vinyl installation. "Pairing food or drink with poetry is a great formula [and] a really great entry point for someone who isn't sure they're into poetry," says Cabrera. "Poetry really is this communal medium, and food is that, too." The bottom line: No matter your interests, there's likely an event for you. "Anyone that has an opinion about this place, has an emotion and writes it down, is a poet," Cabrera says. "That's the beauty of this festival." Here are a few events we're keeping on our radar: April 4: A poetry reading event with Rio Cortez, Z. Yasmin Waheed and Romeo Oriogun at The Cleat Mia. (Free) April 6: "Poetry for Preservation" is a writing workshop at Oleta River State Park. Eventgoers' nature poems will be sent to Gov. Ron DeSantis' office to advocate for park preservation. ($15) April 23: ZipOdes Finale at Vizcaya Museum & Gardens offers readings from all the ZipOde finalists and the end of the "Ode to Your Zip Code" campaign.
